Gas burners are commonly used on the cooktops of household gas cooking appliances including e.g., range ovens and cooktop appliances built into cabinetry. For example, gas cooktops traditionally have at least one gas burner positioned at a cooktop surface for use in heating or cooking an object, such as a cooking utensil and its contents. Gas burners generally include an orifice that directs a flow of gaseous fuel into a fuel chamber. Between the orifice and the fuel chamber, the gaseous fuel entrains air, and the gaseous fuel and air mix within the fuel chamber before being ignited and discharged out of the fuel chamber through a plurality of flame ports.
Certain gas burners include two stages which may operate simultaneously or independently of each other to provide a larger range of heat output at finer increments. Controlling the flow of fuel to each of the respective stages typically requires complex fuel supply systems and multiple costly control valves. In addition, such conventional fuel supply systems do not allow for the use of modulating valves and the ability to use external controllers or remote devices to regulate the burner output in a simple and intuitive manner.
Accordingly, a cooktop appliance including an improved gas burner assembly with a large operating range and improved versatility would be desirable. More particularly, a gas burner assembly having multiple burner stages and a fuel supply system that permits remote modulation and control without costly or complicated plumbing or valve configurations would be particularly beneficial.